San Francisco Staycation: 7 Fun Things to Do While Staying Close to Home

Considered one of the most scenic cities in the world, San Francisco is an excellent travel destination for a staycation. From the Golden Gate Bridge to the remarkable variety of cultural influences, both adults and children will find the city provides excitement and entertainment around every turn.

Here are seven great places in San Francisco for families on vacation to visit:

1. The Golden Gate Bridge:Walking across the remarkable span of this historic suspension bridge provides breathtaking views of the San Francisco Bay. Visitors describe the view as "unforgettable" and even the locals take time to walk or bike across the bridge, which connects the city to California's northern counties. An extensive gift shop provides tourists with mementos of their visit and six exhibits explain the history and function of the bridge.

2. Fisherman's Wharf: Families on vacation can explore this area for a full day without seeing all the sites. From the fresh seafood served in restaurants and outdoor vendors to waterfront cruises, shopping attractions, rides on San Francisco's famous cable cars, and the famous wax museum, the wharf is an experience not to be missed. All members of the family will be amused and entertained by the abundance of local street entertainers that publicly showcase their unique talents.

3. Chinatown: San Francisco's Chinatown is the largest Chinese community outside of Asia. Travelers to the area are immersed in Chinese culture from art, history and culinary influences to herbal medicine and places of worship.

4. Exploratorium: This highly interactive museum of "science, art and human perception" encourages touch, play and inquisitiveness. For more than 40 years, the Exploratorium has offered, "creative, thought-provoking exhibits, experiences, tools, and projects that ignite curiosity, encourage exploration, and lead to profound learning."

5. Golden Gate Park:Travel and Leisure calls this park "The heart and soul of the city." At just over 1,000 acres, the park offers families on a staycation a perfect way to spend a day. Attractions at the park include playgrounds, botanical gardens, the small and reputably haunted Stow Lake, a carousel, a Bison paddock that is home to a herd of American buffalo, a Frisbee golf course, horseshoe pits and much more.

6. California Academy of Sciences: This family travel destination includes an aquarium, a planetarium and a natural history museum. Located within Golden Gate Park, the Academy "combines innovative "green" architecture with inventive exhibits, including the four-story Rainforests of the World dome, the world’s largest all-digital planetarium, the Philippine Coral Reef, Water Planet, a “living” roof garden of native plants, podcasts, live penguin cams, and more."

7. The Presidio of San Francisco: This was once the most important military post on the West Coast reports San Francisco Travel. In addition to its historical significance, the 1,491 acres of the Presidio offers hiking, biking, picnicking, and other adventures including a visit to the National Cemetery, the historic military ruins and guided tours to Fort Point underneath the Golden Gate Bridge.

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